The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Emotional scenes as mother calls for justice
SHEKU BAYOH: Memorial in Kirkcaldy after 31-year-old’s death
An emotional plea for justice has been made by the mother of Sheku Bayoh after a meeting with investigators probing his death.
The family of the 31-year-old, who died after being arrested by police on Sunday morning, paid tribute to him at the spot in Kirkcaldy where the incident occurred.
Mr Bayoh’s mother addressed about 200 people gathered at the corner of Hayfield Road and Hendry Road, close to the Templehall home the father-of-two shared with partner Collette Bell and their threemonth-old baby.
Earlier in the day grieving relatives met representatives of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.
Sources have suggested Mr Bayoh may have been the victim of positional asphyxiation while being restrained by up to 15 police officers.
The family’s solicitor, Aamer Anwar, said it was unacceptable that they had been given several different accounts of the circumstances leading to Mr Bayoh’s death.
The mother of Sheku Bayoh made an emotional call for justice for her only son as a crowd gathered to pay tribute to the father-of-two.
Around 200 people congregated at the spot where the 31-year-old was detained by police during an incident in Kirkcaldy on Sunday morning which is being probed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.
Mr Bayoh’s family and friends were joined by wellwishers at the corner of Hayfield Road and Hendry Road, where sources have suggested he may have been the victim of “positional asphyxiation” while being restrained by up to 15 police officers.
Tears were shed as floral tributes were laid to the man who has been described as a true gent.
Among the mourners was the father of little Mikaeel Kular, who was beaten to death by his mother last year, Zahid Saeed, who it is understood was a close friend of Mr Bayoh.
People were invited on Facebook to pay their respects at the roadside gathering by Mr Bayoh’s former partner, Connie Barcik, the mother of his three-year-old son Tyler.
Mr Bayoh, known to friends as Shek, moved to the UK from Sierra Leone and also had a three-month old son Isaac with partner Collete Bell, who he lived with in Kirkcaldy’s Templehall area.
Tributes included a T-shirt from Templehall Gym signed by friends.
A Facebook page has been set up calling for ‘Justice for Sheku’.
A statement on it called for an independent and full investigation to establish the facts of Mr Bayoh’s death and said his family, friends and the public deserved answers.
Born in Freetown and brought up in London and Fife, it said Mr Bayoh would be “sorely missed”.